Damon Commentary

Saturday, March 15, 2008

George W. Bush has hit a new low. His latest comments on Afganistan have suprised even me with his ineptness and his inability to use reason. All I can say is "WOW."

I must say, I'm a little envious. If I were slightly younger and not employed here, I think it would be a fantastic experience to be on the front lines of helping this young democracy succeed. It must be exciting for you … in some ways romantic, in some ways, you know, confronting danger. You're really making history, and thanks.

This comment coming from a guy who never served a day in the "real" military and very seldom was seen serving in the fake military of his Daddys National Guard.

Saturday, March 8, 2008

Hillary Clinton is acting as if her last name is Lieberman. How dare she imply that John McCain is better prepared to lead this country than her rival Barack Obama?

Has she lost her mind? She has jumped into the mud in the deep end. I guess the Clinton mentality is win at all costs. No matter what the cost to the average American. Hillary said in one of the final debates that "no matter what we will be fine." Here is a news flash for you Ms Clinton, if the Democrates do not win the next White House we will all NOT be fine.

I would expect low life tactics from the Right. But low life tactics from someone in your own party? I would have never guessed she would stoop so low.

I could and would never support Hilllary Rodham Clinton after the last few weeks of slime. I feel that this will cost her campaign in the future. People are tired of this type of infighting.

Hillary believes that she has some sort of birthright to occupy the White House. There is no birthright.

Sunday, March 2, 2008

John Grandpa McCain is in a terrible spot. Since he has offhandedly anointed Barrack Obama as his eventual opponent in the November election he has become the "crabby old man" down the street. Claiming that Barrack Obama is too inexperienced to be the Commander in Chief is as lame as the latest Hillary commercial showing her at 3 am taking the dreaded "red" phone call. (which doesn't actually exist in the real world) McCain is representative of all that is wrong with America. His very presence is ancient and archaic. His ideas are as old as a rusting jalopy out in the back yard. He is by his very nature what Congress actually looks like. When you look at John you see rust and lack of movement.

He continues to tout his experience and his support of the surge in Iraq. John, chill out and pick up the shuffleboard stick. That boat done sailed. The surge may in fact have quelled violence to some extent. This would be in great part due to Muqtada al-Sadr ordering his military to lay down arms for six months. But the fact remains that the cost in lives and dollars will make not only the surge a colossal military mistake but the war itself the largest boondoggle in American military history. George W. Bush's name will be synonymous with this boondoggle and John McCain is itching for the fourth chair behind Cheney and Rumsfeld. I predict that the word Bush will actually become an adverb in the coming years. "Hey dumb ass you really Bushed that one."

Grandpa McCain didn’t just vote to authorize the war; in response to a question from Tim Russert in September 2002, he lent his military credibility to the administration’s undermanned war plan. When Gen. Eric Shinseki, the Army chief of staff, challenged that strategy in a February 2003 Senate hearing by calling for “several hundred thousand soldiers,” Mr. McCain did not speak up" in support. Later that month he went on “Hannity & Colmes” to say that the war “will be brief,” that post-Saddam Iraq is “going to be paid for by the Iraqis,” and that America will “send a message” from Syria to Saudi Arabia that “democracy can take hold in the Middle East.”

Hillary and McCain are searching desperately for dirt on Mr. Obama. Good luck folks. John has to come to the realization that even if Republicans buy his Iraq War "is good" argument then you still have to convince an overwhelming, may I even say "landslide", of new and independent voters that More of the Same is good for the average American. Barrack Obama may be all fluff and no substance. But his message is clear and is becoming more and more believable and possible. This November has the markings of an election for the record books.

Grandpa John may not be the only "crabby old man" down the street. If the landslide continues to grow many Republicans will be looking for work in the public sector. What a shame. My only hope is that this train wreck can be slowed and eventually stopped and reversed. We have many dark days ahead. I hope that the dim light I see ahead is the dawning of a new era in American politics and not a runaway train coming from the opposite direction.

Friday, February 8, 2008

Mr. Bush our esteemed officially unelected President has gone completely bat-shit crazy. During a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference where he remarked that each and every conservative should work to keep one of their own in the White House. Sadly, this is not the crazy part. Shrub went on to explain how great things really are in Iraq and on and on and on. He stressed how the surge worked and that violence is down. "A year after I ordered the surge of forces, high-profile terrorist attacks in Iraq are down, civilian deaths are down, sectarian killings are down. U.S. and Iraqi forces have captured or killed thousands of extremists in Iraq, including hundreds of key al Qaeda leaders and operatives," he said. My answer to that kind of logic is that even a house fire eventually goes out. No its not burning any longer but the site is a barren wasteland and no humans would want to live there any longer.

But his main concern is the election of 08. White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said after the speech that Bush has "stayed studiously neutral" in the presidential race. I would say that using the word studiously and George W. Bush in the same sentence is an insult to anyone who finished 3rd grade. But nonetheless, Shrub expressed his desire for Grandpa McCain to be the next lunatic to wield the conservative sword. He went on to explain and admire his appointments of Alito and Roberts to the Supreme Court. "I say we need judges who respect our values, do not follow the political winds and revere the plain meaning of our Constitution. We need more judges like John Roberts and Sam Alito," Shrub said. Yeah, we need more judges like Roberts and Alito alright, we need them in chains. These guys are the worst. Conservatives to the core. No gray areas for these two clowns. Nothing but black and white.....ooops scratch the black part. No blacks, no gays, no poor, and no fair. These guys will be the lasting footprint of this disaster we call the Bush Administration and we are going to have to live with these two bastards until they retire or die.

Bush continued patting himself on the back about tax cuts. He revisited the Iraq war and praised himself for his illegal manipulation of the judiciary. But his biggest delusion is comparing himself to Reagan. Oh yes, God on high. The "Gipper". The "Great Communicator."

Bush called his presidency "a joyous experience" and said he wasn't worried about how history would judge him, saying President Reagan was nearing the end of his second term the same thing Shrub is nearing now."Ronald Reagan was called a 'warmonger,' 'an amiable dunce,' a movie actor detached from reality." Bush said. "Yet within a few years after President Reagan left office, the Berlin Wall came down, the evil empire collapsed, the Cold War was won.

Lets be clear. I hated Reagan. I did a jig the day he died. But comparing "Shrub" to Reagan is even an insult for someone who I despised. Reagan was a dunce, and a warmonger. He just happened to be at the helm the day that the Soviet Union went broke from its waging war in Afganistan. (Remind you of anything?) He gives a speech about a wall that was already falling. He had nothing to do with it. Shrub is a dunce, a warmonger, a nitwit, delusional, and I believe has a form of brain damage. (I'm not kidding there) But at least Reagan was somewhat intelligent and could give a fair speech. He knew how to play the game and will be remembered for eternity as a great President. Shrub will be remembered as causing some of our darkest days in this country. He will be remembered as the worst of the worst. The lowest common denominator in respect to the Oval Office. How embarrassing and sad.

Friday, February 1, 2008

As Super Tuesday draws near I must become humble and apologize to Senator Barack Obama. My last post was one of disbelief and dismay. His comments which I was force fed (out of context) angered me and sent me on a tailspin of negative prose. Yet, as the days moved on I read his comments verbatim and have pieced together the full thought process he was attempting to convey. His comments about Ronald Reagan were at best an attempt to show that the Republicans were attempting change, not good change, not improvement, but nonetheless change by its very definition. I completely and totally agree with that statement and have climbed back on the Obama wagon.

Senator Obama is the equivalent and possibly the finest example a current day JFK that I have seen in my lifetime. I have listened to many of his speeches, read his book and have been moved by his words. This man can grip an audience with the enthusiasm and the electricity he can put into the air. I feel good about being an American once again. A feeling that I have not felt for over 10 years. This man has the potential to improve/change this country. He has the potential to be the finest and the most important individual in the past three decades. I believe with all my heart that this man can change the world.

During the California debate last night it has become obvious that Senator Clinton and Senator Obama have decided that the Americans come first. They come first before ego, differences, and policy. No argument between the two is more important than is the future of the country. For this I salute both candidates. Again, I feel great about being an American.

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Barrack Obama may have the charisma and the look of a rock start but he has shattered my support. He literally has broken it into small pieces and left it by the side of the road. His praise of Ronald Reagan to the Reno Gazette has left me reeling...........

Obama told the Reno Gazette-Journal editorial board Monday that "Reagan changed the trajectory of America in a way that Richard Nixon did not and in a way that Bill Clinton did not. He put us on a fundamentally different path because the country was ready for it," Obama said.

"I think it's fair to say that the Republicans were the party of ideas for a pretty long chunk of time there over the last 10 to 15 years in the sense that they were challenging conventional wisdom," Obama told the newspaper.

How dare a Democratic candidate praise the Republican Party or its "walk on water" god Reagan for anything? The Republican Party has sent this country into a tailspin that we may never recover from. It has dismissed the middle class as nothing more than worker bees and increased the distance between the extremely wealthy and the ones just getting by.

Hillary Clinton hit the mark.

"That's not the way I remember the last ten to fifteen years." She said she didn't consider it a better idea to privatize Social Security, eliminate the minimum wage, undercut health benefits, shut down the government or drive the country into debt. "I think we know what needs to be done in America. And I think we're ready to do it. I'm ready to lead on day one.

Edwards was also on the mark,

"Ronald Reagan, the man who busted unions, the man who did everything in his power to destroy the organized labor movement, the man who created a tax structure that favored the richest Americans against middle class and working families, ... we know that Ronald Reagan is not an example of change for a presidential candidate running in the Democratic Party," Edwards said.

Reagan also "was destructive to the environment by removing a lot of the regulation that existed," Edwards added in a later telephone interview with The Associated Press. "I would never use Ronald Reagan as an example of change."

From this day forward I will support Mr. John Edwards for the Presidency. He is the only one who has a disdain for big business, corporate corruption, and special interest that is similar to my own. He is, in fact, a man of the people.

I will support a Democratic candidate no matter who he or she might be. But I hope and pray that it will be a candidate that I can tell myself, my children, and my grandchildren was not BUSH LIGHT!!

Thursday, January 10, 2008

A new troubling myth has taken hold in Washington and it is critical that the record is set straight. According to the mainstream media, Republicans, and unfortunately even some Democrats, the President's surge in Iraq has been a resounding success. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth.This assertion is disingenuous, factually incorrect, and negatively impacts America's national security. The Surge had a clear and defined objective - to create stability and security - enabling the Iraqi government to enact lasting political solutions and foster genuine reconciliation and cooperation between Sunnis, Shias, and Kurds.This has not happened. There has been negligible political progress in Iraq, and we are no closer to solving the complex problems - including a power sharing government, oil revenue agreement and new constitution - than we were before the Administration upped the ante and sent 30,000 more troops to Iraq.Too many Democrats in Congress are again surrendering to General Petraeus and have failed to challenge the Bush Administration's claims that the surge has been successful. In fact -- it is just the opposite.The reduction in violence in Iraq has exposed the continuing failure of Iraqi officials to solve their substantial political rifts. By President Bush's own stated goal of political progress, the Surge has failed.Of course raising troop levels has increased security - a strategy the Bush administration ignored when presented by General Shinseki before the war in Iraq began - but the fundamental internal Iraqi problems remain and the factors that were accelerating the civil war in 2007 have simply been put on hold.The military progress is a testament to the patience and dedication of our brave troops - even in the face of 15 month-long deployments followed by insufficient Veteran's health services when they return home. They have performed brilliantly - despite the insult of having President Bush recently veto a military spending bill that enhanced funding and benefits, and increased care.Despite the efforts of American soldiers, the surge alone cannot bring about the political solutions needed to end centuries of sectarian divide.As it stands, little on the ground supports the assertion that Iraqis are ready to stand up and govern themselves. Too few Iraqi troops are trained, equipped and combat ready, and they cannot yet provide adequate security. Loyalty is also an issue in the Iraqi army as Al Queda and Sunni insurgents infliltrate their defense forces. The consequences turned deadly just recently when an Iraqi soldier purposely killed two U.S. troops.On the streets of Baghdad and Mosul, the Sunni and Shia factions have paused their fighting, awaiting guarantees and protections that have not yet been delivered. As Iraqi refugees return, there is no mechanism to help them rebuild their lives, nor recover their now-occupied homes. Neighborhoods once mixed are now segregated.In Northern Iraq, Kurdish terrorists conducting nefarious operations across the border into Turkey have compelled our NATO ally to strike at bases, inflaming tensions between Baghdad and Ankara.The surge is working? We suffered more U.S. casualties in 2007 than in any other year of the war. We can't afford any more of this type of success.How can we create the situation that is most likely to deliver political progress in Iraq? Not by continuing the surge and occupation. Our best chance (there is no guarantee) is by putting real pressure on the Iraqi government to force action. Telling the national and local Iraqi leaders that we are withdrawing our troops can help accomplish this goal. Today, the majority Iraqi Shia government led by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has little incentive to act when American troops remain in the country to provide security and stability.Based on the Administration's plan, John McCain's proposal of a 100-year US occupation could be a reality!The Democratic Congress must act aggressively to first cut off funding for the surge and then the entire war. Many of my colleagues avoided a showdown with the administration because they mistakenly believed such a fight would endanger the safety of the troops.In fact, we must accept that every soldier killed or injured in the coming months should have already been home. Every billion dollars of war-appropriations we spend from here on should have been spent on genuine priorities here at home such as children's heath care.Enough is enough: While the Administration over-commits American forces in Iraq, we see Al Qaeda-regrouping and Osama Bin Laden still at large. We remain seriously bogged down in Afghanistan, and are witnessing a crisis in Pakistan that has left a nuclear country on the brink of a meltdown. America's resources and attention are desperately needed elsewhere and our soldiers must no longer be needlessly sacrificed as we wait for Iraqis to stand up.The Surge has failed. If my colleagues gullibly accept the moving rationale for the Surge, just as so many have for the war itself, we will have failed as well.

Obama In St. Louis Missouri 2/2/2008

About Me

I am a consummate liberal, photographer, and blue collar worker. I have been a union worker as well as a suit and tie. My beliefs were shaped by a tolerant, live and let live rearing. I have a one serious character flaw, I am a nice guy, and you know where nice guys finish. My parents raised me to seek truth and fairness. This blog is my view of current events. It is logic based. Stupidity and ignorance have no place here.